As small tribes farmed the Dorset landscape of the Iron Age, the political environment in the Roman Emipire was changing. Determined to expand they set their sights on Albion, forcing their way through with armed legions on newly developed roads, and renamed the country Britannia. New technologies, building practices, tools, skills, materials and beliefs were … Continue reading Roman Dorset
From the steep slopes and waterways that split Somerset and Wiltshire explore the forests of Stourhead. Find Jack’s Castle, used as a beacon site to call troops, and discover King Alfred’s Tower, its peak visible for miles around. Venture deep into the ancient Selwood Forest, haunted by forces that could steer you off your path. … Continue reading Stourhead
From Manston, deep in the Blackmore Vale, discover its little church and mausoleum, used to house perished loved ones until cremation was made legal. Wander across the floodplains of the River Stour to Fontmell Parva and its large 17th century country house. Climb up Porter's Hill, using the little trackways that connected isolated farms, to … Continue reading Fontmell Parva
From the village of Puddletown, named for the river on which it sits, venture out into the storied landscape of Troy Town. Climb the hillside once home to a Miz Maze, a winding turf pattern long believed to have been used for witchcraft and ritual. Follow the old drove roads down to the forgotten Blandford … Continue reading Puddletown
From the high peak of the Iron Age Hillfort of Lambert’s Castle cut down through its ramparts into the Marshwood Vale. With views across the valley to Lewesdon and Pilsdon, join Nash Lane marking the edge of a medieval deer park. Drop down the steep Holloway to Baber’s Farm, bought with the mission to conserve … Continue reading Lambert’s Castle
Explore the tracks and trails deep within the hunting heartland, but marshy waste ground, of what was once Blackmoor Regis. From the hamlet of Hermitage, having grown from an isolated priory, follow the old droveway used by both livestock and lords. Skim the source of the River Cam to Three Gates where an ancient road … Continue reading Hermitage
After the famous site of Stonehenge, the secondary stone circle of Avebury falls. Just like its counterpart it is set in a much larger landscape of ancient monuments. Covering a period of over 1000 years, these gigantic tributes, to entities we are yet to understand, rose up from the ground in feats of engineering unimaginable … Continue reading Avebury
Wander through the hidden woodland of Holway in Castleton, the parish that wraps itself around the town of Sherborne, and home to two castles. Curve with the slopes through ancient woodland and pine trails to Sherborne golf course. Follow the little lanes and stone pathed routes past the site of a Roman farmstead up to … Continue reading Holway
